Schatzkammer von Jianghu

Kapitel 33

Wu Sanshou stared at the stone wall for a moment, as if he had made a decision, and said loudly, "Carve out a three-foot square shape from the stone wall, and dig a trench around it with one palm's width of earth to block the wind. Then you can start a fire." He then turned to Gu Dukaixuan and asked, "Does the young master carry any sharp weapons?"

Lonely Triumph reached into his robes and pulled out a small, exquisite dagger, handing it to Wu Sanshou.

Wu San took it and examined it closely by the firelight, marveling at it: "This dagger is exquisitely crafted. Just look at the gemstone it's inlaid with—it's a flawless, translucent, emerald-green gem, priceless..."

"This is a token of marriage bestowed by the emperor. Does Mr. Wu like it?"

The words "Lonely Triumph" were spoken to Leng Shuangcheng's back. Seeing that she didn't move an inch, he seemed to gradually understand a truth: she knew that he was engaged...

Wu Sanshou was clearly startled. He quickly waved his hand and turned to focus on chiseling at the mountain wall. Before long, he had carved a shallow square shape on the cave wall. Holding a dagger, he laboriously scraped away the attached rock and soil within the shape.

"I've already scraped off a layer of grease, so the remaining gunpowder won't spread and cause an explosion around here." Wu San raised his sleeve to wipe away sweat, slightly out of breath.

"Here you go." Lonely Triumph handed the torch to Wu Sanshou and walked to the mountain wall. He focused his energy in his palm, extended his right hand, first pinning his five fingers to the cave wall, then gave a silent shout and began to dig with his bare hands.

Wu Sanshou's eyes widened as he stared blankly at the fist-sized ditch dug by Lonely Triumph.

Leng Shuangcheng turned around in shock, exclaiming, "Young Master..." and rushed forward in a hurry.

Lonely Triumph, with his back to the two, remained oblivious, only pausing slightly to catch his breath when he felt a sharp pain, his hands still firmly embedded in the stone wall. Upon hearing Leng Shuangcheng's voice, he took a deep breath and hissed, "Chu Yi, don't treat me like a cripple!"

Leng Shuangcheng stopped in his tracks.

Lonely Triumph leaned his head gently against the stone wall, panting as he said, "Chu Yi, let me finish this."

Leng Shuangcheng silently turned around and stared intently into the darkness.

Thin strands of blood trickled down Lonely Triumph's pale, powerful wrist. He seemed oblivious, focused solely on digging. After what appeared to be an eternity, he turned his face expressionlessly and said calmly, "You can light it now."

His right hand hung limply in his sleeve, dripping blood continuously, which stood out starkly in the silent cave.

Wu San raised his eyes to look at the person in front of him, a faint worry rising on his face: Gu Du Kai Xuan's breathing was disordered, and he was only managing to stand upright with difficulty. He stepped forward and gestured to help Gu Du Kai Xuan bandage his wounds, which was not refused.

"Wu You, you and Young Master Lonely should keep to yourself," Leng Shuangcheng suddenly said, his back to her.

Wu Sanshou looked at Gu Dukaixuan, coughed and nodded, and took the lead into the darkness. Wu Sanshou extinguished his torch and followed closely behind him.

Leng Shuangcheng recognized the two people's footprints, walked to the cliff face, shrunk the torch in her hand, took out a wisp of firewood, and steadily tossed it towards the stone wall. In that instant, her body, like a runaway horse, swiftly leaped behind her.

With a loud "boom," the cave seemed to shake twice, revealing a hole shaped like a dripping water clock.

From afar, a lonely, triumphant, yet anxious voice drifted over: "First Year of Middle School, how are you?"

"It's alright," Leng Shuangcheng replied loudly, getting up and walking quickly toward the broken cave. She reached her hand into the hole to probe, then pulled it back, using her palms to shake away the remaining rubble.

Suddenly, a square cave appeared before Leng Shuangcheng's eyes. A cold wind swirled up and brushed against Leng Shuangcheng's cheeks, carrying a chilling breath that made her close her eyes greedily.

The lone victor slowly stepped forward, coughing softly and pulling his clothes tighter. He walked behind Leng Shuangcheng and surveyed the scene outside the cave.

The light outside was dim, making it impossible to tell whether it was night or dawn. The surroundings were shrouded in mist, obscuring the view. Looking down, the small cave resembled an eagle's nest atop a towering mountain, clinging alone to the rock face and facing a bottomless abyss.

"Unfathomable, a sheer cliff," Lonely Triumph said calmly.

Leng Shuangcheng stepped aside and walked into the cave: "There are still wild vines outside that can be used to tie people up." After taking a couple of steps, she suddenly realized something was wrong and hurriedly called out: "Wu You, you can come out now."

Gu Dukaixuan turned around in surprise and looked at Leng Shuangcheng. The two exchanged a glance, their expressions changing slightly.

“He was behind me just now…” Lonely Triumph said hesitantly.

Leng Shuangcheng's face turned cold, and he flashed forward, intending to rush into the stone wall. Before he could move, he heard a cold voice say, "Chu Yi, you're really persistent."

Her tone was icy cold, piercing straight to the heart, carrying an unwavering resolve that instantly chilled Leng Shuangcheng, rendering her immobile. A turbulent cry surged within her: "Please, please, it can't be Qiu Yeyijian!"

Two blurry figures emerged in response. A young man in black turned his face, his handsome features concealing eyes as venomous as a snake's. He gave a sinister smile: "You die, or he dies?"

The newcomer was Shadow Leng Qi, but this did not put Leng Shuangcheng at ease—Wu Sanshou's face was ashen, and he was being held in his palm with shallow breaths. His feet were slightly off the ground, as if he had been acupunctured.

"Don't kill him! I'll do anything you want!" Leng Shuangcheng cried out in alarm.

Leng Qi shifted slightly, placing Wu San's hand against her chest: "Young Master Lonely, you'd better not move your hand."

The last to return, in a solitary triumph, sighed softly and slumped his shoulders.

Leng Qi's body was completely hidden behind Wu Sanshou. All that could be heard was his cold voice saying, "It's very simple. You commit suicide in front of me right now, and I will release Wu Sanshou."

“Okay.” Leng Shuangcheng replied quickly, “But before I die, I want to see Wu Sanshou’s life safe and sound.”

Upon hearing this, Lonely Triumph shouted in a low voice, "Chu Yi, your life is mine. Don't speak of life and death lightly!"

"Young master, there's no need for further words. I understand."

Leng Qi's gaze was fixed on Leng Shuangcheng, as sharp as a black snake spitting venom, his eyes gleaming with a faint red light: "Hurry up and make your move!"

“Guard Leng, you know that once you kill Wu Sanshou, you alone will not be able to capture me alive, and then your goal will be in vain. Can we find a compromise between the two of us, whereby you can exchange Wu Sanshou to ensure his safety, and I can be disposed of as you see fit?” Leng Shuangcheng stared at Leng Qi and spoke calmly.

"Oh? What method?"

“Young Master Lonely can seal all my acupoints and then exchange me for Wu Sanshou.”

"Do you think I'm stupid? The Lord of Lonely Town and Wu Sanshou are not related, so why should he be under my control? If he makes a move, it will be difficult for me to subdue him in one move. If you then make your move, what chance do I have of winning?"

The burning light in Leng Qi's eyes grew brighter and brighter as she spoke loudly.

Leng Shuangcheng looked at Leng Qi and paused slightly, "He seems a bit crazy, like he's going mad." He then said calmly, "Then, according to Guardian Leng, what is the proper course of action?"

Leng Qi lifted Wu Sanshou's body; his eyes were tightly closed, and his body was as limp as cotton. "I'm not afraid of death, I just want you to die, I don't care about anything else!"

Leng Shuangcheng looked at Wu Sanshou, her heart filled with anxiety, a hint of panic unconsciously showing on her face. Leng Qi looked at her, as if she held the key to victory, and smiled coldly: "Well? Time is running out."

"Guard Leng, why did you kill Chu Yi?" Just as Leng Shuangcheng was rapidly processing her thoughts, she suddenly heard Gu Dukaixuan's calm voice.

Leng Qi stared intently at Leng Shuangcheng without saying a word.

"Is it because of jealousy?" Lonely Triumph continued.

Leng Qi's eyes passed through Leng Shuangcheng and landed on Gu Dukaixuan's face. His handsome face remained expressionless, only smiling coldly.

"The Cold Guard and the Silver Light Prince grew up together with the Evil-Slaying Young Master when they were young. Although the Young Master is a prince, he is actually the master. It is said that the Evil-Slaying Young Master looks down on the Shadow Sword's background and has always taken the Silver Light Prince with him when he goes out to broaden his experience. From childhood, the Cold Guard has been at a disadvantage compared to the Silver Light Prince."

"This trip to Wuzhou, with the young master of Bixie being placed under the supervision of Guard Leng, is a golden opportunity. Guard Leng must have been waiting for this for a long time, hoping to turn the tide. However, the sudden appearance of Chuyi has squandered Guard Leng's chance to rise to power."

"Chu Yi escaped from the clutches of the young master of Bixie three times, even breaking out of the game and causing a huge uproar. This made the usually arrogant young master of Bixie start to take this unknown pawn seriously. Obviously, the Leng guard, who failed to supervise effectively, is also to blame. I think the Leng guard is not afraid of death, but wants to capture Chu Yi alive to make amends for his crimes."

The solitary triumphant voice drifted slowly and gently through the cave. Leng Shuangcheng stood silently, his eyes fixed on Leng Qi's face. A hint of malice flashed across Leng Qi's fair face, and a bright red light shone in her pupils.

"Tsk tsk, if I were the young master of Bixie, I would certainly despise you, such a shallow person—twenty years in the martial world, you've only improved your martial arts but not your brain. Rumor has it that Shadow Leng Qi's birth mother came from a brothel, I wonder if that's related..." There was not a trace of sarcasm in Lonely Triumph's voice, but his face showed deep regret. At the end, he shook his head slightly.

Leng Qi roared, his palms flashing with wind as he leaped out, grabbing Wu Sanshou. He frantically hurled Wu Sanshou at the two men like a weapon, screaming, "Why, why, why are you all stopping me? What did I do wrong?"

Lonely Triumph, plagued by chronic illness, had just barely managed to break through the barrier, leaving him with depleted internal energy. After successfully driving Leng Qi mad, he barely managed to dodge a few more attacks before being swept away by a figure with a "bang," falling straight to the ground.

Leng Shuangcheng turned around and saw that Gu Dukaixuan's brocade quilt was scattered on the ground, and his body was not moving. He became more and more anxious.

Leng Qi threw punches and kicks haphazardly, but didn't loosen his grip on Wu Sanshou. Leng Shuangcheng dared not strike back, fearing he might injure Wu Sanshou; for a moment, he was caught in a dilemma, hesitant to act.

The two men, one attacking and the other dodging, darted and ran through the narrow mountain path. In the chaos, Leng Shuangcheng spotted a sliver of space in Leng Qi's scattered body and flicked a pebble hidden in his palm. The pebble struck Leng Qi's right palm squarely, and Wu Sanshou fell to the ground with a thud.

Leng Shuangcheng was greatly shocked. Her hand quickly reached for her waist and drew Moonlight Sword. She made a starting sword gesture and thrust it fiercely towards Leng Qi's face. She stopped retreating and firmly guarded the intersection, preventing Leng Qi from rushing towards the two people behind her.

Leng Qi was in a frenzy, neither dodging nor avoiding, only wildly striking with all his might. Leng Shuangcheng always remembered the pitiful state of the boy in front of him, all thanks to himself, so the sword in his hand inevitably missed its mark, never striking his vital points.

After a few feints, Leng Qi took a sword wound to the face, cried out, and suddenly turned and ran. Leng Shuangcheng was stunned for a moment, then the longsword pierced through his left ribs. He broke free of the sword and fled, wounded.

Leng Shuangcheng helped Wu Sanshou up from behind, checked him over, and seeing that he was not in great danger, dragged him to where Gu Dukaixuan had collapsed.

A faint air of solitary triumph emanated from him; his chest rose and fell gently, and his eyes remained closed.

After weighing the two options, she began to try to save Wu Sanshou. She placed her palm on Wu Sanshou's back, continuously sending out her internal energy, while softly calling out, "Wu You, Wu You, wake up quickly."

After a while, Wu Sanshou slowly woke up.

Leng Shuangcheng didn't wait for him to fully regain his senses before anxiously saying, "Wu You, you must listen to me. Leng Qi ran into the cave, his mind has gone mad, and he'll probably set the cave on fire sooner or later. There are vines outside this exit. Tie Young Master Lonely to your body and crawl along the mountain wall for a while. Once you see the terrain, let go of his hands."

Wu Sanshou seemed a little dazed from Leng Shuangcheng's shaking, but he was fully awake when he heard the last sentence: "Acheng, are you crazy? My martial arts are not high and I am all alone. It doesn't matter if I fall off the cliff and die, but I can't implicate Young Master Lonely."

Leng Shuangcheng gazed at Wu Sanshou, her clear eyes lingering on his face. After scrutinizing him closely, she smiled and said, "Remember that you have already performed the apprenticeship ceremony, so you must listen to your master's words." She paused, then stood up, turned her back, and began to undress.

Wu Sanshou was shocked and turned his face away, a slight blush flashing across his face as he tried to avoid it.

"Do you remember the bundle I asked you to make? I've been wearing it all this time. Back when I set off for Ruzhou, I had already inquired about the mountain valleys of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. It was prepared then to break through the hands of the young master Bixie, and now it's truly fitting for the current situation. Tie it to your body, and no matter how high you are, as long as there's wind, it will carry you with the wind and safely take you to the foot of the mountain."

Wu Sanshou turned his face away and said hurriedly, "And what about you?"

Leng Shuangcheng lowered her eyelids and smiled slightly: "I have prepared an escape route, but I can't leave now. It would be good if I could delay Leng Qi for a while. Besides, if you escape danger, I will have no worries."

Wu Sanshou looked at her with surprise and disbelief.

Leng Shuangcheng gently pushed him away: "Hurry up, Wu You. If you're late, even your master won't be able to escape. I have a second cloak here. Remember to leave Young Master Lonely outside the ancient city. You can leave on your own. If you are captured, use Young Master Lonely to threaten the attackers. After you leave, someone will naturally come to rescue him."

Wu Sanshou suddenly reached out and grabbed Leng Shuangcheng's sleeve: "Acheng, where am I supposed to find you?"

With her back to Wu Sanshou, Leng Shuangcheng's face was obscured. She spoke slowly and deliberately, "Yangzhou." Before Wu Sanshou could react, she leaped into the darkness.

34. Alluring Beauty

A chilly wind rushed into the cave, howling softly. In the still of the night, only the wind on the cliffs accompanied the stars, lingering and reluctant to leave, like a fairy in the moon palace under the laurel tree, gazing at the earth with melancholy and loneliness.

Leng Shuangcheng slowly emerged from the darkness, his face calm, and silently sat cross-legged against the stone wall.

Wu Sanshou never expected that his kind-faced master would deceive him: she stayed here not to stop Leng Qi, but to await her death. How could there be two exquisitely crafted cloaks! Perhaps many years later, he and Gu Du Kaixuan would realize that Leng Shuangcheng's cold distancing from Gu Du Kaixuan in the cave was actually because she had long harbored a heart ready to sacrifice herself for righteousness.

Many times, Leng Shuangcheng had secretly complained about the cruelty of fate towards her, but at this moment, she was grateful to Wu Sanshou, whom God had sent to her, for he was so honest and kind. Imagine if Wu Sanshou hadn't been a Confucian scholar who upheld the rules of propriety, if he had even the slightest doubt about her, his nominal master, then none of them would have been able to escape today's siege! Losing herself was not a big deal, but losing anyone else was something Leng Shuangcheng felt she couldn't bear.

A breeze swept through the cave, ruffling her hair, and a misty, damp air enveloped her. A profound silence hung in the air, both inside and outside the cave. Leng Shuangcheng leaned against the stone wall, gazing at the scenery outside. Staring at the ethereal mist, her mind raced through a series of images:

An eight-year-old's small body, buried under heavy snow, kneels stubbornly in the wind and snow, seeking a master... Soaked in the cold snow in a valley, the master, expressionless, pulls him up, taps him lightly, and his finger snaps off. He reattaches it and continues practicing tirelessly... His eighteen-year-old junior sister dies, he meets Tianxiao, and those difficult yet happy times are unbearable to recall... In the Ice Palace, the master's self-inflicted battle triggers his own meth poison... Reborn on Wufang Island, he spends his days with the sea, his heart filled with confusion... Traveling to Qinglong Town, he meets the smiling Yang Wan... Passing through war-torn towns, a scene of devastation... At the Yunhu Inn in Youzhou, the wheel of fate begins to turn... The departure of Ruan Si and Madam Ru, a heavy burden of sorrow... All that he did for Nan Jingqi... In Sihai, he sets a trap to meet Wu Sanshou, finally understanding why his master always watched him silently... Rushing into the battlefield amidst chaos, witnessing the impermanence of life and death... Entering the underground tunnel with peace of mind, waiting for Leng Qi to end it all...

Thinking of Leng Qi, Leng Shuangcheng sighed softly. Even death couldn't erase his resentment towards her. Although Gu Du Kaixuan's words about driving Leng Qi mad were an exaggeration, he had ultimately dragged him down with him. This proud young man, raised under a blindingly bright spot, was inherently repressed and withdrawn. He was actually afraid of being ignored by the young master of the Evil-Slaying Sect, working tirelessly and anxiously, only to have his fear drive him insane…

Leng Shuangcheng turned back to look at the darkness, thinking to herself, "Leng Qi, even though I owe you, we are together now."

Perhaps at this moment, the ancient city was in a state of utter devastation, with corpses strewn like mountains and blood flowing like rivers.

Perhaps at this moment, the whole city is jubilant, with a joyous banquet and lively singing and dancing.

But for Leng Qi and Leng Shuangcheng in the underground city, none of that mattered anymore.

The bright moon rises over the Tianshan Mountains, amidst the vast sea of clouds.

In the vast and deep sky, amidst swirling clouds and mist, a bright moon slowly emerged, its snow-white skin and icy beauty blooming in an instant. Leng Shuangcheng witnessed this fleeting moment, her heart filled with the tranquility of a cool mountain stream, and she couldn't help but smile silently.

On a cold night, gazing at the faint stars in the sky, a smile gently reflects the crescent moon.